University of South Dakota Athletics

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota volleyball battled, and won the second set, but ultimately fell to #14 Minnesota Friday night at the Sanford Pentagon on the first day of the South Dakota Lottery Volleyball Classic.
 
Lauren Medeck led the way for the Yotes with 12 kills, four blocks and five digs, while Avery Van Hook had a double-double in her return to the lineup with 29 assists and 12 digs. Amanda Loschen paced the Yotes, who held an 11-8 edge in blocks, with eight blocks on the night. 
 
The Gophers began to pull away early in the first set, but the Coyotes answered with a 4-0 run behind kills by Gabi Zachariasen and Van Hook and an ace from Morgan Bode to pull within three, 12-9. Minnesota, who hit .375 in the first set, pulled away with an 11-3 run and would take set one 25-15. The Gophers were led by McKenna Wucherer in the opening set with five kills, and she would end her night with 25 kills and five or more terminations in each set. 
 
After a Wucherer kill to open the second set, the Coyotes flipped the momentum with a 6-1 run. Zachariasen had an ace in the run, while Loschen teamed up with Medeck for one of her eight blocks on the night. The Yotes held the lead after that run until six straight from the Gophers gave Minnesota a 17-14 edge. The Gophers inched towards going up 2-0 in the match with a 23-21 lead late but after an Audrey Nelson kill, Gopher error and an ace from Sierra Pokharel, the Coyotes were on set point. Wucherer's sixth kill of the set brought it even at 24 apiece. A kill from Bode put USD on set point and an error by Minnesota evened the match at 1-1. 
 
Loschen was in on four of the five Coyotes blocks in the second set, while Medeck had four kills and Nelson had two kills and two blocks. 
 
The Gopher attack was red hot out of the break, hitting .481 in the third set to take the third 25-17. The Yotes hit .235 in the third, their highest in a set on the night, but would trail the Gophers throughout. Wucherer had eight kills on 10 swings for Minnesota, while Medeck and Loschen led the Coyote attack with four and three kills each. 
 
Minnesota held the Coyotes at arm's length behind a .360 hitting percentage. The Gophers worked early to build an early lead, and while the Yotes would cut it to four (13-9), Minnesota used an 8-2 run to take a commanding 21-11 advantage and would trade points with the Yotes to secure a 25-14 set win and 3-1 match win.
 
Minnesota hit .305 on the night and had more aces (8-4) and kills (62-36). 
 
Medeck recorded her eighth double-digit kills match of the season. Loschen tied her career high with eight blocks on the night.
 
The Coyotes return to the Sanford Pentagon to close out the nonconference slate tomorrow with another Big Ten opponent, Washington, at 12 p.m. 

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